The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1887-02-11
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY II, 1881
AN ADVOCATE OF THE
TREATY.

The people of these Islands owe a
debt of gratitude to the Alta California
for the ability and persistence with
which that influential journal puts for
ward arguments in behalf of the reci-
procity treaty from the Pacific Coast
standpoint. In recent article under
the head, Hawaii, Japan and the
Revenues" the Alta quotes from the
Japan trade circular of Minister Hub
bard, which shows that the United
States admits duty free fourteen mil
lions year of the products Of Japan,
and n return therefor sells to Japan
two millions a year Of American pro-
ducts. That paper asks, "Why is it
that we hear no proposition to put
duties on imports from Japan as a
means Of increasing our trade there1
Where are the statesmen who look at
all commerce from the standpoint Of
public reyenue1 Why not tax the Jap-
anese trade to ill Treasury that is too
full without farther effort in that direc-
tioni" From that the Attn goes on to
remark
When the Hawaii treaty is discussed
it is opposed because it admits Ha-
waiian products duty free, and gentle
men stand and cry the sorrows of a
surfcited Treasury and rouse the coun-
try to frenzy over lost revenues that
would increase our fiscal plethora to
the point of Indigestion and paralysis.
Yet The facts are that we export to
Hawaii half as much as we import, and
the export is of the manufactured pro,
ducts and raw material of this Coast,
and we do both the exporting and the
importing in American bottoms, the
sail vessels being built and the whole
fleet, steam and sail, being owned on
this Coast, so that really the balance Of
benefit Of the Hawaiian trade is on our
side and not against u.s. 1t goes to
the strengthening OF American trade
here on the Pacific side of the CONT
nent, where it needs help, and yet the
revenue is put forward as a reason why
that trade should be given up
Thence the paper goes on to discuss
the annexation of territory, saying it
has never been an unpopular PROPOSE
ton in that country, and that by con-
quest and purchase annexation had
made the nation grow "from insignifi-
canoe until it spans the continent and
stretches from the tropics to the Polar
Circle" Such nation might soon
require to protect its coasts by securing
the permanent neutrality Of offiying
islands, and if in the struggle Hawaii
and Cuba should be annexed or pur-
chased, where, the AHa asks, would be
the argument now based IN loss Of
revenues upon the products of this
Kingdom "Then its commerce would
be internal, like that between the
States, and, according to the argument
Of the gentlemen who oppose the reel
procity treaty, our country would be
made annually poorer by as much duty
as we would lose upon that trade. ("
Our California friend concludes his
article thus.--
If the revenue argument is to pre-
vail we can better afford to tax the
Japanese trade out of existence, for it
reciprocates only one-seyenth, than to
abandon the Hawaiian trade, which
reciprocates one-half in actual cash
value and in its transportation in our
ships, marine insurance, exchange and
other financial collaterals, shows a bal
ance in favor Of our citizens.
Let it not be supposed that, because
we use it in illustration, our Govern
ment has any annexation or purchase
policy in regard to Hawaii. We deal
honorably with other nations and are
prepared to defend the independence
Of that Kingdom against the world in
arms, if need be. Our people who
have dealt with it justly believe that
those islands can sustain great, indus
trious, civilized population, benefited
by the example Of our schools and our
institutions, and their progress is just
as much a matter Of pride in the